Niantic has announced that Pokémon which are traded in Pokémon GO have a chance to become sparkly Lucky Pokémon.

Lucky Pokémon Are Ready for a New Adventure!

Trainers, Professor Willow has made an important new discovery about Pokémon! His findings suggest that Pokémon can take on a new trait when they are traded. The trait’s origin is a mystery, and you can experience it soon in Pokémon GO!

According to his research, there is a chance that Pokémon, when traded, can become sparkly Lucky Pokémon. It seems that Lucky Pokémon require less Stardust to power up, which means they can reach a higher CP much faster than other Pokémon. Plus, a Lucky Pokémon can be detected by the Pokédex, so you can keep track of them!

The longer the Pokémon spends inside a Trainer’s Pokémon storage, the higher the chance of them becoming Lucky Pokémon when they are traded. Whether or not being in storage causes Pokémon to become Lucky Pokémon remains a mystery, but be sure to stay posted for more results from the professor’s research.

With the discovery of Lucky Pokémon, Gifts also can include special new surprises. Trainers who send Gifts to friends will now receive XP for doing so and Gifts also have a chance of containing Stardust!

It’s time to begin a new journey with Lucky Pokémon! Share a photo of your new find with #LuckyPokemon on your preferred social media channels. Stay safe, and happy exploring!

Niantic has published the Three-Strike Discipline Policy for players of Pokémon GO that have been found to be cheating. Full details are posted below.

Pokémon GO - Three-Strike Discipline Policy

At Niantic, we strive to create a friendly and fair gameplay experience for all players. As part of that commitment, we enforce a three-strike policy against cheating. This policy may provide offenders with a series of disciplinary actions that gradually increase in severity and provide multiple opportunities to change their behavior. If offenders reform their ways, they are welcomed back into the game. However, if offenders continue cheating, they will be permanently removed from the game in accordance with the Pokémon GO Terms of Service.

For the purposes of this policy, we define cheating as behaviors that violate the Pokémon GO Terms of Service and Trainer Guidelines, such as falsifying location (GPS location spoofing) and accessing Pokémon GO clients or backends in an unauthorized manner, including through the use of third-party software or add-ons.

A strike serves as a warning. Everyone can make mistakes. That’s why we have created this policy to enable offenders to learn from their mistakes and change their ways. If you have been issued a strike, don’t ignore it. Take action to ensure that you do not commit any further transgressions. If you believe that your account was compromised or hacked, please see this article for tips on securing your account.

Keep in mind that offenders are not always offered three strikes. Some misbehaviors may result in immediate account termination without prior warning.

Strike 1: Warning

Disciplinary actions:
If this strike is issued, you will see a warning message within the Pokémon GO app informing you that we have detected cheating on your account.

In addition to this warning, your gameplay experience may be degraded in the following ways for the duration of the warning:

You may not be able to encounter rare Pokémon in the wild. These Pokémon may not appear on the map or on the Nearby Pokémon tracker.

You may be excluded from receiving new EX Raid Passes.

Duration:
This strike will last for approximately 7 days. After this period, your gameplay experience will fully be restored.

Strike 2: Suspension

Disciplinary actions:
If your account is issued a second strike, you will temporarily lose access to your Pokémon GO account. When attempting to log into the game, you’ll be presented with a message stating that your account is suspended. You will not be able to bypass this message.

Duration:
This strike will last for approximately 30 days. After that period, your account access will be restored.

Strike 3: Termination

Disciplinary actions:
If you receive the first and second strikes and continue to cheat, your account will be permanently banned.

Duration:
Permanent

Appealing your punishment

If you believe your account has been terminated in error, you may appeal the termination. We will respond to your appeal after a complete investigation of your account. Please note that due to the high level of accuracy in our detection systems, very few terminations are ever overturned.

Pokémon GO Fest - Chicago 2018 Statistics

Tens of millions of Trainers all over the world participated in the Professor Willow’s Global Challenge

Thank You for an Incredible Pokémon GO Fest, Chicago!

Wow, what an amazing weekend! Thank you so much to the 21,000 Trainers who attended Pokémon GO Fest in Chicago, USA, the 180,000 Trainers participating in the surrounding Chicago area, and the tens of millions of Trainers all over the world who took part in Professor Willow’s Global Challenge! Event attendees walked an average of more than 6 kilometers, completing an average of 36 research tasks and catching an average of 350 Pokémon on July 14 and 15 in beautiful Lincoln Park.

Trainers enjoyed a 1.8-mile curated walking path, featuring four dynamic habitats filled with more than 50 species of Pokémon. In addition to the Cheering Pokémon, Plusle and Minun, appearing throughout the event, Trainers encountered Pokémon such as Ludicolo, Torkoal, and Metagross while completing important research tasks on their way to discovering the Mythical Pokémon Celebi. Team tents were buzzing with activity, including photo opportunities and fun contests. Outside of the park, the City of Chicago lit up with exciting Raid Battles to keep the fun going.

Even a little rain or the heat of the afternoon sun couldn’t stop the thousands of Trainers from enthusiastically exploring, snapping AR photos among the cacti of the desert habitat or the periodic snow storms in the glacial habitat. Trainers congratulated each other on completing important research tasks and catching the Shiny forms of Pokémon. And cheers continually echoed throughout the park from team tents, where games and music helped attendees let loose. The mood was infectious all weekend. The feelings of courtesy, kindness, and togetherness never left Lincoln Park, even as Trainers filed out at the end of Sunday’s journey.

But that’s not all! Trainers around the world once again showed their dedication to completing the Global Challenge. No matter which team you’re on or where you live, you’ll be able to access all related bonuses for your success during Pokémon GO Fest. Until July 23, you’ll be able to enjoy double the usual Candy when catching Pokémon, double Candy when hatching Eggs, and a guaranteed Rare Candy during raids! Plus, all Eggs will hatch in half the distance, including 7 km Eggs that hatch Alolan form Pokémon!

In addition to these amazing bonuses, the Legendary Pokémon Zapdos will be available in Raid Battles around the world during Zapdos Day on July 21. If you’re lucky, you may be able to encounter Shiny Zapdos! See below for event hours in your region:

When you spin a Photo Disc at a Gym, you’ll receive a Raid Pass up to five times starting when the event kicks off in the Asia-Pacific region. Make it a day to remember by supporting your fellow Trainers, and remember to abide by all local laws, and leave your community better than you found it!

The enthusiasm today was amazing, and we can’t wait to see how you come together and complete the final leg of the Global Challenge on August 29 – September 2 during the Safari Zone event in Yokosuka, Japan. If all goes well and the tasks are completed, a special Ultra Bonus will be unlocked!

Get ready for more fun ahead, and we hope that you have an incredible time participating in Zapdos Day.

Niantic have announced the details for the 8th Pokémon GO Community Day which takes place on August 11th and 12th, 2018 at 2:00 PM until 5:00 PM Haiti Daylight Time. The featured Pokémon for this day is Eevee. Eevee will appear in the wild more frequently for three hours each day. The 3× Catch XP and 3-Hour Lure bonuses will also be available that day.

Niantic has announced that round two of Professor Willow’s Global Challenge will take place from July 14th, 2018 until July 15th, 2018 and if all the goals are achieved, on Saturday, July 21st, 2018, Zapdos will be available in Raid Battles around the world for 3 hours.

Unlock Zapdos Day during Professor Willow’s Global Challenge!

Trainers, Are you ready for round two of Professor Willow’s Global Challenge? Starting July 14 through July 15, each area of the world will have to meet the challenge requirements during Pokémon GO Fest in Chicago, USA! If each area achieves its respective goals, Candy-related bonuses will unlock starting on July 16—including bonuses for catching Pokémon and participating in Raid Battles. Trainers can also unlock a bonus to reduce the distance needed to hatch Eggs!

If all goals are achieved, Trainers all over the globe will be able to receive up to five free Raid passes when they spin a Photo Disc at a Gym during Zapdos Day, featuring the Legendary Pokémon Zapdos. On Saturday, July 21, Zapdos will be exclusively available in Raid Battles around the world for a three-hour period. During that time, all Zapdos caught will know the Fast Attack Thundershock. You might even encounter a Shiny Zapdos!

As this summer’s exciting Global Challenge events continue, please remember to be respectful of other Trainers and of PokéStops, Gyms, and other locations while you’re out there adventuring!

Niantic has announced that to celebrate the second anniversary of Pokémon GO, from July 6th, 2018 until July 31st, 2018, Pikachu and Pichu will appear more often. A special summer style Pikachu dressed in a straw hat and sunglasses will appear throughout the month.

Celebrate Pokémon GO’s Second Anniversary with Pikachu!

Trainers, Can you believe it’s already the second anniversary of Pokémon GO? Thank you so much for adventuring with us and catching Pokémon all over the world. You truly are what makes this journey so special!

None other than Pikachu has joined in to celebrate this momentous occasion, so keep an eye out for Pikachu and Pichu as they will appear more frequently tomorrow (July 6 PT) until July 31. Plus, this year, you can say hello throughout the month to a special “Summer Style” Pikachu, that’s decked out in a straw hat and sunglasses.

Can’t get enough Pikachu? Pikachu Fan Avatar items will be available for purchase! Trainers with a gold Pikachu Fan medal will be able to purchase all related items, which include a T-shirt and Pikachu ears.

We’ve heard so many amazing stories from Trainers, and we can’t wait for what’s on the horizon. We’re excited to announce that Special Research on the Mythical Pokémon Celebi will be available globally in the near future. So stay tuned, Trainers, and get out there and GO!